The Bears still seized a first-innings lead of 61, which they increased to 67 by the close, but the splendid fightback has set the game up to unfold fascinatingly over the next two days.

Resuming on 299 for seven, Warwickshire took just one ball to collect the single they needed for a third batting point but fell frustratingly short of a fourth after Graham Onions took the last three wickets in 18 balls.

After Barker perished for 45, Chris Woakes was left with only Jeetan Patel and Chris Wright for support, They didn’t give him much.and he was stranded on 52.

Barker then tore into Durham’s reply as Mark Stoneman, Will Smith and Keaton Jennings all edged behind.

Wright was not at his best but nipped out Benkenstein and when Woakes ended Ben Stokes’ counter-attack and trapped Phil Mustard lbw the Bears were buzzing.

But Collingwood and Borthwick drew the seamers’ sting and dealt comfortably with the spin of Patel. They were finally parted by Woakes who drew an edge from the man whose middle-order slot in England’s team he may well fill sooner rather than later.

On went Borthwick, though.

Reprieved on 40 when Clarke grassed a chance at second slip off Barker, the 22-year-old advanced to his first century against county opposition before slicing Clarke into the cordon.